The Supreme Court reinstated Donald Trump on the 2024 presidential primary ballot on Monday, rejecting state efforts to hold the Republican former president accountable for the Capitol riot.
The justices ruled a day before the Super Tuesday primaries that states cannot use a post-Civil War constitutional provision to prevent presidential candidates from appearing on ballots.
That authority rests with Congress, the court wrote in an unsigned opinion.
“Because the Constitution makes Congress, rather than the States, responsible for enforcing Section 3 against federal officeholders and candidates, we reverse,” the court’s ruling stated.
The outcome puts an end to efforts in Colorado, Illinois, Maine, and other states to remove Trump, the front-runner for his party’s nomination, from the ballot due to his attempts to recoup his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden, culminating in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.
“Today’s unanimous Supreme Court decision underscores the bedrock principles of our democracy and the rule of law,” said Trump’s Counsel, Harmeet K. Dhillon, founder and managing partner of the Dhillon Law Group. “This victory is not just for President Trump but for the integrity of our electoral system and the rights of voters across the country. The attempt to use the 14th Amendment in this manner was a dangerous overreach that, if left unchallenged, could have set a perilous precedent for future election. We are proud to have defended the constitutional rights at stake and grateful for the Supreme Court’s unequivocal affirmation of these fundamental principles.”
Read: Florida Sen. Scott “Seriously” Eyes Replacing McConnell As GOP Leader
Trump’s case was the first before the Supreme Court to address a provision of the 14th Amendment adopted after the Civil War to prohibit former officeholders who “engaged in insurrection” from holding office again.
Help support the Tampa Free Press by making any small donation by clicking here.
Android Users, Click To Download The Tampa Free Press App And Never Miss A Story. Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter. Sign up for our free newsletter.